in all of the talks we've heard about the fiscal cliff, we've heard about balance and new tax revenue. but we don't hear balanced a budget. i think -- balanced budget. i think this speaks to how bad the situation is in the federal government when both parties don'tage knowledge that. as for -- don't acknowledge that. as for what's going on, just downstairs from me, speaker boehner started throwing cold water on any report that the talks were moving ahead. yes, there have been an exchange of offers. he said the last couple of days, but he said his phone call last night was a frank discussion about just how far apart they are. with 19 days left until the deadline or nine days until the end of the world, if you are look at the mine cardinal, nobody knows which way -- calendar, nobody knows which way we are headed. >> isn't this part of the we're so far apart publicly. but suddenly, they will announce miraculously they've reached a deal? >> reporter: i think for those of us here trying to cover us, it's the hardest thing to try to figure out since you are not et going the inside part of t